Australia Samantha Murphy, 51, last seen leaving her property to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest, Ballarat, 4 Feb 2024 *Arrest* #13

[Trooper]

He's not that silly if he hasn't opened his mouth and the police have no body! Who are the dumb ones!?

Who's been on remand for nearly 1 1/2 years??? He could clear himself up in 10 mins if it was possible. He's playing at being a rebel without a clue.

 

[HoneyBunOne]

He's not that silly if he hasn't opened his mouth and the police have no body! Who are the dumb ones!?

That's not fair. They're looking for a needle in a hay stack, as far as her body goes. They had him on their radar a few weeks after the murder and arrested a few weeks after that. They have found copious amounts of evidence, "unprecedented" was the term used. They found Samantha's phone. I don't call that dumb, I call that good police work.

 

[hillshaveeyes]

That's not fair. They're looking for a needle in a hay stack, as far as her body goes. They had him on their radar a few weeks after the murder and arrested a few weeks after that. They have found copious amounts of evidence, "unprecedented" was the term used. They found Samantha's phone. I don't call that dumb, I call that good police work.

I'm simply saying he's put himself into a favourable position to make a deal, whether you like it or not. It's amazing he's kept his nerve for this long. I still feel like there is a lot to play out here!

 

[hillshaveeyes]

Who's been on remand for nearly 1 1/2 years??? He could clear himself up in 10 mins if it was possible. He's playing at being a rebel without a clue.

I don't agree. I think he's played it smart. Just imo.

 

[Rocket333]

I don't agree. I think he's played it smart. Just imo.

I think he’s stuck and waiting it out. If he was innocent he would’ve protested and pleaded from the get go, but he didn’t and he doesn’t. He hasn’t even applied for bail. I think he has shut down and shut shop because he knows that he has everything to lose and the stakes are terrifyingly high. He’s in a corner biding his time and hedging his bets and praying to the gods that he’ll get off.

 

[suspicious]

I bet he's been reading websleuths.. !!

Would he have access to the internet in remand?

 

[Porky1]

Would he have access to the internet in remand?

I think they do. Iam pretty sure Trooper clarified the remand centre privileges a few months ago.

Iam not sure if it would be unfettered though. It most likely has specific browsing rules and blocked sites which is usual for all government agencies, businesses, etc. I’d be surprised if Webslueths, Reddit, etc would be accessible for prisoners on remand.

 

[Bats]

BINGO! If it was before, then it's really, really hard to prove it wasn't a premeditated act that he wasn't involved in.

Gunna hit you with a technicality here.

In his defence, he won't have to prove anything.

 

[BreakingNews]

The Australian article has nothing in it really, just refers to the Sun Herald article, both say PS was taken to Canadian Forest region.

The Sun Herald article is written by Anthony Dowsley as an exclusive ( he also broke the Lawyer X story ) & mentions "sources have confirmed that investigators are eager for Mr Stephenson to revisit the area in and around the Canadian Forest in Ballarat" & also mentions that a critical part of the investigation has surrounded Mr Stephenson’s internet searches

Wonder when he did those searches?

 

[BreakingNews]

I wonder what is in his internet search history? Obviously incriminating stuff!

OT. A crime podcaster who I can't remember now, always ended by saying "Delete your browser history"

 

[BreakingNews]

I think they do. Iam pretty sure Trooper clarified the remand centre privileges a few months ago.

Iam not sure if it would be unfettered though. It most likely has specific browsing rules and blocked sites which is usual for all government agencies, businesses, etc. I’d be surprised if Webslueths, Reddit, etc would be accessible for prisoners on remand.

In Qld even in remand, you don't get access to internet at all.

 

[Rocket333]

I think they do. Iam pretty sure Trooper clarified the remand centre privileges a few months ago.

Iam not sure if it would be unfettered though. It most likely has specific browsing rules and blocked sites which is usual for all government agencies, businesses, etc. I’d be surprised if Webslueths, Reddit, etc would be accessible for prisoners on remand.

I don’t think they do. I think they have access to computers under strict guidelines, for legal prep or education etc, but that’s about it.
No phones or laptops but more phone calls and visitors than those in the big slammer. Could be wrong. Troops will know.

Remand | Corrections Victoria

Alleged offenders on remand are held in custody before and during their trial (on criminal charges) by order of a court.

www.corrections.vic.gov.au

 

[Rocket333]

Wonder when he did those searches?

I’ll lay my bet on “in a mad panic after” and that he didn’t feel like his customary sausage & onion on bread at Bunnings on that particular afternoon.

 

[Scooby-Doo]

Wonder when he did those searches?

was taken from jail to bushland on the edge of Ballarat, the National News Network reports.

The excursion to an area in and around the Canadian Forest in Ballarat was held “late last year” and “investigators are eager for Mr Stephenson to revisit the area”, the report states.

https://www.news.com.au/national/crime/murderaccused-patrick-orren-stephenson-reportedly-taken-to-bushland-in-search-for-samantha-murphy/news-story/80785b427a9686fa0732f280c760aaa7

 

[SouthAussie]

OT. A crime podcaster who I can't remember now, always ended by saying "Delete your browser history"

I think that may work for someone just looking superficially at your device. But forensics can often recover deleted internet searches.

 

[Rocket333]

Taking him back to Canadian is taking him back to the start, the meeting, the crime.

Both sides may be agreeing that he was there. He’s consented to go with the police to Canadian so there’s probably undeniable evidence of him being in Canadian on the morning of Feb 2nd.

His defence crew might be encouraging his return to Canadian to corroborate his narrative and reconstruct the scene.

Why twice?

 

[Scooby-Doo]

Taking him back to Canadian is taking him back to the start, the meeting, the crime.

Both sides may be agreeing that he was there. He’s consented to go with the police to Canadian so there’s probably undeniable evidence of him being in Canadian on the morning of Feb 2nd.

His defence crew might be encouraging his return to Canadian to corroborate his narrative and reconstruct the scene.

Why twice?

The fact that he's agreed to this, is interesting as he could have said No.

Especially when we have been told from the beginning that he's not cooperating with the police and has maintained his silence. How much of this is true now ?

 

[Marie A]

I think that his defense is going to be
“if he hit Samantha he didn’t know it”
“he remembers maybe hitting an animal while driving”
so they are taking him to the spot where he maybe remembers hitting an animal….

I think this taking him back there is a defense ploy that won’t aid his prosecution

I think they have her DNA inside his vehicle and on his tools and they are going to explain that away (when he was removing kangaroo blood with a rag) from his vehicle
he had no earthly idea it was human blood - he threw the rag back on his tools….

I don’t think they have video of him actually with her as has been previously speculated- because this would be moving more quickly if that was the case.

I think that finding her phone is the most damning piece of evidence so far.

If there was seriously damning evidence on his phone or devices they would be searching for her in a specific area.

He may not be quite as stupid as we think he is. He certainly has gotten lucky in hiding her body to date.

My main question is whether he accidentally hit her and covered it up (very unlikely)
or hit her with malicious intention- either she set him off by reprimanding him possibly or was this pre-meditated assault/ sexual assault and murder?

This journey back to the forest may be to see if his recollection of “possibly hitting an animal” corresponds to a spot where her phone showed trauma.

Maybe his Ute was technologically advanced enough to lend some evidence here to catch him in lies.

The only thing they can say is that someone else picked her up after she was injured etc - I think that without her body a defense team could provide a certain amount of “reasonable doubt” but I think there are other pieces of evidence that it will be really hard to explain.

I also think his close family and his ex gf all think he is 100% guilty
I don’t see any of them speaking up in his defense. They appear to all be repulsed by him after this. I think they realize that his odd/off behavior lent itself to this atrocity- much as Kohberger’s family knew he was guilty

All IMHO

 

[Tricia]

Congratulations to the amazing men and women of Othram labs.
Othram was instrumental in helping convict Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez of murdering Rachel Morin. Because of our partnership with Othram Labs/DNA Solves, Websleuths no longer has those obnoxious advertisements and has a much faster server. We ask that you consider becoming a monthly subscriber to DNA Solves to help other families get the answers they deserve about their missing loved ones. CLICK HERE to find out how you can help.
Thank you,
Tricia

 

[Rocket333]

The fact that he's agreed to this, is interesting as he could have said No.

Absolutely. He must see that it somehow helps him and his defence. I doubt he’d do anything against his will (he comes across as quite wary) so this could be interpreted as him seeing the trips as advantageous for him (as would his defence team you’d think).

Especially when we have been told from the beginning that he's not cooperating with the police and has maintained his silence. How much of this is true now ?

Just my opinion but I doubt he’s shifted at all and I bet he’s continuing to do what he wants and what only benefits him. Given that, he probable views these trips as helping him to wriggle out of it all. He’s had a long time to sit and plot, and he’d know those forests and parks like the back of his hand.